Big News

The time has finally come.  We're moving!  We're not just moving anywhere though, we're going to TEXAS (hey, it's a little further West)!  Wes got a great job working as the Assistant to the City Manager of Allen, TX, it's about 20 minutes Northeast of Dallas and sounds like the suburban life that we're used to (I've never been...).  It all has worked out better than we could have planned and we feel great about the opportunity, both for career and family.  

We try not to think about the friends that we're leaving here in Virginia (I get teary really easily these days) and to just look forward to this new experience.  

We hear that the most stressful things in life are new baby, big move, and new job; we just decided to do all three within a month- no big deal though, right?  BG is due on the 24th of Jan. and if all goes well, Wes will start his new job 4 weeks later.  Yikes!  Believe it or not, I've already started packing a few boxes in order to do as much before the baby as possible- it'll be crazy, we might go crazy, but I figure that one way or another, by March, we'll be in our new place.

A little disclaimer about moving to TX: We all know "those" people who hung up their state flag in the window of their dorm room, those that think that TX is the center of the universe and let everyone know about it.  I promise we WILL NOT become "those" people nor will we allow our children to become such.  So, those that were worried can rest easy.

Small Tiny Tim Christmas

Our Christmas wasn't really small, just the stuff under the tree.  We bought a new car, we're having a new baby and moving to a new place so we purposefully put little things under the tree.  I got a teeth whitener strips (Staci has already told me several times they're bad for your teeth so don't bother) and Wes got a new robe.

Wes thought long and hard about what to get me.  Christmas Eve we went to WalMart to buy candy for our mock ginger bread houses and we're about to leave and Wes says, "wait, I have to go buy you a present!"  I just laughed, my cute husband.  I don't mind, I think it's funny.  If we we weren't going to be having all of these big costly things coming up he assures me that he would have had something great (I actually think my gift is great); I think it just makes for good stories.

Wes' reaction to his robe, "I totally look like a dad."

For the baby...

Here is our most favorite gift for the baby (do you believe me that it's for the baby?). A big thanks to Ameri and "Santa" (and to Babies R Us for making coupons); we decided that the baby would rather have a great rocker than a really expensive crib, babies sleep anywhere right? Whatever the excuse, we love it.  It's taking up what little space we had left in our front room and I haven't even complained about it (don't worry, I'm complaining about a lot of other things)!

Ahhh the little things

Why do such little conveniences make us so happy? Can anyone guess what this is that makes me smile whenever I open the closet?  It's a grocery bag holder!  After 3 years of the grocery bags stuffed inside themselves on the floor of the closet and taking over everything, I made this holder.  I can't believe how easy it was (although maybe I should pretend like it wasn't so people will be impressed), a seam for a canvas tube, a little elastic and there, your life will be just a little bit easier (and a whole lot cheaper than the $20 holder from the store).

I've entered the Twilight Zone

I borrowed the first Twilight book so I could read it before I saw the movie.  Well, that was 2 weeks ago and I've just finished the 4th.  I don't know what it is about this book, it's weird, about vampires and wearwolves, yet I could not put it down.  It's been quite helpful during my many sleepless nights (because of the pregnancy, not nightmares about vampires) and I've hardly watched much tv at all.  I think about the story of them and I don't even think it's that great, but I COULDN'T STOP READING!  They're definitely addicting, I'm not really sure why.  Since I was late in getting started, I had the benefit of being able to move from one to another and not wait for another publication, so maybe that contributed to my obsession.   On a similar note, I didn't LOVE the movie.  I thought it was fine but I didn't leave really wanting to see another one right away.  I know some of you will disagree with me on this, but I didn't think Edward and Bella had any chemistry in the movie, definitely not like the book (I know you're going to defend it telling me they can't make a movie as detailed as books, but still).  I can now say I've supported a fellow BYUer, although as Wes points out, I didn't really support anything because I borrowed all the books, thanks friends!

With much reluctance... "baby" update

When even your dad says you need to send some pictures of your "big" self, I figured I should do something.  Here is a recent picture, can you believe I have 6 1/2 weeks left?  

Just an update on her, she's doing great; I'm still on "modified bed rest" but when I do what I should, I feel good.  

I've made a few more baby dresses but I'm getting bored with the same pattern so once I find another "easy" one, I'll make a few more and lay them all out.

Childbirth Class

On Saturday Wes and I went to a birth prep class at the hospital. I wasn't really sure about it to start with but I thought I would probably wonder if we didn't go- so we went. 6 hours, $150 and nothing really that I didn't know before.
To illustrate the stages of labor they had these cartoon pictures to show how you'll feel throughout; I think that this might give you an idea of how the whole day went.
They had the couples (yes, both of us) practice relaxation breathing. It was all I could do to not burst out laughing; in fact, a few times I did and tried to cover it up with a cough (similar to what we'd often do in sacrament meeting growing up). The whole time I'm wondering what I'm doing there. To close out the morning portion they went through a relaxation exercise. You know, the ones where you tense up different parts of your body and relax them, trying to be totally relaxed at the end. They had us lay on the floor... um, I'm 8 months pregnant, I'm not comfortable laying in my own bed with 8 pillows, do they think I'll be able to relax laying on the floor?? So they put on the relaxation music, the teacher got her soothing voice going and went through the steps. At the end they asked the husbands to try to do something to relax the mom, talk to them, massage our arms, whatever. Apparently the relaxation worked for Wes, I had to nudge him awake to relax me- then when he started to whisper in my ear I couldn't help but laugh and then I think we ruined it (as if it was working before).
We also had to watch videos of actual births. Yuck, no thanks. Not what I wanted to see. I'm all about the TLC "Baby Story" births. This, was not like that, nothing I needed to see (side note, what woman in her right mind would ALLOW someone to video and then show that to thousands of people?).
Anyway, the cafeteria food was good and I did ask one question about car seats so maybe it was worth it. We also got a certificate saying that we're certified to have our baby- good thing, I wouldn't want to get sent home from the hospital.